Weapon
by BetweenheavenandHell
Summary: Summary: Powerful, cold, precise, that is what a weapon should be. What makes it stronger? What makes it weaker? Does the answer to this question really hold the key to understanding the roots of the Sharingan, and to what dark places does the search for
1. Prologue

**A/N**: A continuation of Healer, with a few minor changes to better fit new information relased in the current manga, this is not AU, but it's not quite canon, bare with me here.

Summary: Powerful, cold, precise, that is what a weapon should be. What makes it stronger? What makes it weaker? Does the answer to this question really hold the key to understanding the roots of the Sharingan, and to what dark places does the search for such knowledge take you?

**

* * *

Weapon**

Prologue: Prophecies of the Damned

Cold.

That was the first thing he noticed. Not the wide fields of picturesque green grass, stretching on beyond the eye's ability to follow. Swaying gently in some unseen, unfelt breeze as a kind and benevolent sun beat down steadily overhead.

No, all these went unheeded, not even the delicate scent of blossoms in the air, somehow reaching and comforting him despite his disconnection from this place held his attention for long.

It was always the mind numbing, soul crushing cold that occupied every iota of his clouded mind. Thoughts of how it was possible, of why he was there, simply could not permeate the icy chrysalis that held him captive, locked away from the peaceful scene he beheld.

"I…", his throat was dry and parched, his voice raspy as if he had been days without water, barely recognisable as his own smooth even tones.

Slowly working frozen moisture back into his throat, he tried again, feeling some need to speak out against the cold, to deny it as he had something else…

_The Void_

Pain slammed him to his knees as a gaping emptiness opened within his mind, screaming as it tried to pull him closer.

Gasping, his hands dug furrows in the soft earth, cold as the air around him, chunks of grass pulling free and dissolving at his touch unseen.

A raven curtain blocked his vision and in the few moments of panic it brought before he identified the source, the void yawned wider.

_Sasuke_

The void screamed again as his head jerked up, but not a cry of hunger as before, no, this time it was a whimper of fear.

Was it for him the nothingness trembled? He was sure the name just called was his own, or was it for the person who had called him, whoever they may be?

"Why…", he pushed himself slowly back to his feet, sweeping errant bangs of midnight hair aside, both puzzled and annoyed by the sudden retreat of the void, "…what is this?"

_It's ok Sasuke, I'm here, remember?_

He didn't, and that only infuriated him more, his slender features narrowing as he commanded his faltering memory to supply him with the identity of the voice calling him.

_You don't have to be afraid_

Sasuke sneered at the unseen speaker, a contemptuous contraction of the muscles on one side of his mouth.

"I fear nothing", he winced as the void throbbed, clutching at his heart for a second until the feeling subsided.

He glared around his surroundings, eyes alert and scanning for any sign, any clue he could use.

The wind tussled his hair playfully, shocking him, and forcing him to instinctively track its path, and the single petal of perfect pink it carried.

His feet began moving before he was fully aware of telling them to do so, chasing after the winds phantasm and its single passenger with something he had previously only seen in others.

"Desperation"

It didn't make any sense, why was he so intent on catching up to a single petal? So driven that he barely noticed how the previously endless fields flew beneath his feet, transitioning into sparse woodland so smoothly he almost forgot where he had started his journey.

After an indeterminate period of leaping logs, vaulting from treetops, and sprinting with chakra assisted steps over calmly ebbing rivers and streams, the breeze seemed to loose its grip on its passenger, depositing the petal gently on the doorstep of an aging wooden cabin.

Sasuke slowed as he neared. There was something… familiar, about this place, something that distracted his focus from the petal he had pursued as a wave of peace seemed to quell the urgency that had previously filled him.

He took a slow breath, scents that hadn't previously been noticeable filling his head, triggering a cascade of mismatched memories so chaotic they should have been terrifying, and yet…

As half remembered days and nights spent in a place so very much like this tumbled past in a dizzying array of blissful normalcy, another smell reached him, one deeply embedded within all the others, and one he found himself unable to relinquish once he found it.

The smell of cherry blossoms.

"Sakura…"

"Sasuke-kun", eyes he hadn't remembered closing snapped open, widening slightly at the sight of the pink haired girl that stood before him, hands clasped almost demurely behind her back, mint green eyes watching him closely from atop a broad smile.

"You're looking well", her smile relaxed a little and she stood a little straighter, "That's good".

"…Sakura?… What are you-" a violent chill cut short his question, arms lifting instinctively to rub each other.

"Cold Sasuke-kun?", Sakura _tsked_ lightly, folding her arms beneath her breasts, a look of playful disappointment crossing her pretty features, "I thought you'd be used to it by now".

The icy sensation slowly faded and Sasuke dropped his arms back to his sides, returning her look with one of ambivalence.

"So distant? Is that how you-"

"Stop it", his voice seemed to cause her to jerk as if physically struck, but she recovered quickly.

"Stop what? I see, you're uncomfortable out here, why don't we-", again he cut her short.

"You aren't her", his words left no room for argument, and after a moment, Sakura giggled happily as if he had answered some secret and very important question.

"Very good", her image rippled and grew, replaced by a figure nearly double her height, black hair longer than Sasuke's own and gathered like his at the nape of his neck swinging freely in the breeze as the newcomer gazed back at him with bright red eyes.

"…I killed you, I remember that much", Sasuke said, surprised at how calmly he spoke when at one time, even the mention of this traitor's name would have sent him into an uncontrollable fury.

"True", Itachi said simply as if it were of no consequence, "but confirming that isn't what's on your mind, is it?".

Sasuke shook his head slowly, crouching warily as the spectre of his dead brother began to walk, taking a lazy path around the younger Uchiha, his black cloak billowing behind him and making it seem as if the red clouds sown into it were really moving.

In a blur of motion he moved, a glint of light on metal the only sign that he had drawn a kunai.

A loud ringing resonated through the clearing, the only sound in a forest that should have been teeming with life.

"Very good", Itachi smiled, the faintest up turning of the lips, not really enough to even be noticeable unless you knew what to look for. Sasuke said nothing, just kept up the subtle pressure that ensure his kunai stayed locked with his brother's.

"You're being very patient Sasuke-kun. Not like the first time you found me", Itachi nodded when his brother didn't respond, backing off suddenly as if trying to catch Sasuke off balance but turning way and leaping atop the cabin in a single smooth motion.

"You really have grown up a lot little brother, I-"

"Get to the point, you sicken me", another minute smile had Sasuke clenching his fists at his side.

"I have a riddle for you. A quandary about our mutual curse", all humour dropped from Itachi's voice, causing Sasuke to shiver involuntarily. He sounded just like he did in his nightmares… the day he had murdered their clan and their parents…

"Curse?", Sasuke snorted, forcing himself to meet his brother's suddenly empty gaze, his hand reaching up unconsciously to touch the tattoo like symbol burned into the flesh of his neck, "What would you know. We're nothing alike".

"I'm not talking about your little decoration Sasuke, I'm referring to the other", Itachi's eyes closed for a moment, his next words coming at barely a whisper Sasuke had to strain to hear, "…Sharingan…"

"Sharingan?", Sasuke asked.

"You already know, don't you?", Itachi asked, watching the look that flitted across the younger man's face, "I believe that Demon mentioned it to you didn't he?"

"Kyuubi", Sasuke frowned, recalling his encounter with the nine tailed beast.

"As good a name as any I suppose… Do you know the reason he feared you?", Itachi asked slowly.

"Feared?", Sasuke hadn't really got the impression the great demon had scared him, more like it had been surprised or perhaps unsettled…

"I guess when you live that long, memories of certain things begin to fade, leaving only the echoes of the event behind… a feeling if you will… shall I tell you why?"

"I don't want anything from you", Sasuke spat.

"Oh this isn't a gift little brother, but perhaps you can make use of it", Itachi turned to gaze up at the perfect sky, his eyes closing gently.

"**_Forged from the fires of hate, stoked by the lust for knowledge, tempered by strength, and sharpened by sorrow_**", Itachi's voice took on an oddly booming quality as he spoke, amplifying his words throughout the woods, "That is the first line of an ancient saying, no, more a philosophy, or rather, that's what some believe… do you know what it pertains to Sasuke?"

Sasuke remained silent, something about the strange words echoing with something inside him.

Overhead the sky began to darken, pure white clouds tinged grey.

"…I suppose it's too early, but you'll figure it out eventually", Itachi glanced at Sasuke, "Hurry Sasuke, it's drawing closer".

"What is?"

"Sharingan", Itachi's voice was distant, as if he was talking to something only he could see.

"What are you-"

"Time to wake up Sasuke"

"I- Ugh!", pain flared in his chest, the kunai that had somehow become imbedded there slick with crimson as it stared back impassively.

As Sasuke began to fall he reached out toward Itachi, the older of the brothers turning to face the distorted horizon.

"I..ta..chi…"

The world went dark.

"Itachi!"

Sasuke sat up right, his hand lancing out as if to catch hold of something, but finding only the chilled air of his domicile.

A cold sweat clung to his skin and left the covers twisted around him damp and cold.

Taking several deep breaths to steady himself he swung his legs out of bed, resting bare feet on the wooden floor, ignoring the resultant shiver as he allowed his head to rest on his hands, unbound hair spilling everywhere in straight ebony waves.

It had happened again. This was not the first time he had had this dream, Itachi appearing in the guise of another and babbling at him about curses and meanings.

He shivered for a moment remembering the cold. That was always present as well…

**_Forged from the fires of hate, stoked by the lust for knowledge, tempered by strength, and sharpened by sorrow_**

Sasuke ran a hand back through his locks as his mind replayed Itachi's latest message.

Was it crazy to think of it that way he wondered?

Dreams were not messages… so why did he feel as if something very important was locked within his brother's unsettling words.

A soft murmur, almost like a quiet grunt of distress snapped him from his musings, his mind still clouded by dreams taking a moment to remember what was making that sound.

On the other side of his bed, the pink haired girl from his dreams lay curled within the sheets, her hand probing the air of fading heat his body had previously occupied, he sleeping face set in an unconscious frown as soft moans escaped her parted lips.

With a gentle affection that would have been totally beyond him in a public setting, the raven haired boy reached back with one hand, allowing her to find the proffered extremity, her moans fading and her face relaxing as soon as her fingers closed around his.

Within moments her breathing has resumed the deep, even pattern of sleep and he felt a small smile tugging at his lips.

What did people think of this arrangement, he wondered, an unwed, unsupervised couple sharing the same bed? Would they have believed them if they said nothing improper ever occurred?

Probably not, but he didn't care for the opinions of outsiders. He and Sakura had discovered that after their time together in the cabin and the defeat of his former master, they had trouble sleeping without knowing the other was safe and nearby, and thus this had seemed the most logical arrangement, even if it meant listening to all the unwanted opinions and in certain cases, innuendos of the other 'rookie nine'.

Lying back down, Sasuke carefully eased an arm into the gap between Sakura's neck and her pillow, allowing her to nestle closer and him to drape his arm loosely around her shoulders.

As sleep tugged at his heavy eyes, Sakura's warmth lulling him deeper into unconsciousness, he thought on his brother's words, dismissing them all with a mental wave of the hand.

What did he need care of curses anymore, his days seeking power purely for it's own sake, for his, were behind him… so why couldn't he let it go, and why did these dreams haunt him?

"…Sharingan…", he whispered softly as he finally gave in and allowed himself to be carried away.

* * *

"Naruto-kun?"

"Huh?", the blond haired boy asked blearily, rubbing fitfully at cloudy blue eyes as he stifled a yawn.

"Ano… you were talking in your sleep again", he eventually managed to focus on the indistinct somewhere on the other side of the dying embers of the night's fire, her quiet voice difficult to pick up over the loud snores echoing up from a shaggy white mound of hair and blankets to his left.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?", he asked, already settling back down even as the question of how she had managed to hear him presented itself, eyes drifting closed.

"No, I… never mind, goodnight Naruto-kun", he waited until her heard the rustle of her settling back down to open his eyes again, crossing his hands beneath his head and starring up at the stars in the clear night sky.

It felt kind of nice to have someone who was always worried about him, gave him sort of a nice feeling in the pit of his stomach… not in a girly way or anything of course, but still…

Why did that bastard fox keep trying to mess things up? Usually he kept quiet these days now that he knew his host was no longer going to be letting him get the chance to run wild with his body, but lately he'd been getting restless. It was spilling over into Naruto's own mind, giving him weird dreams, more confusing than some of the ones he had had about Hinata a few nights ago and nowhere near as pleasant.

"Sharingan eh?", he grunted, yawning loudly and closing his eyes, "Sasuke-teme, can't even get a damn night's sleep anymore cause of… that… jerk…"

As Naruto's snores began to reverberate through the clearing, Jiraiya allowed one eye to open, grunting unhappily to himself.

"So it's finally here huh? Figures, just when my latest book deal looked set to really take off too", the Sannin groused. That Uchiha boy would probably start moving soon, which meant sooner or later he would have to tell his young apprentice about his return to Konoha, not a fun conversation, but at least with the Hyuuga girl here he might hold his temper for a change.

"You better know what you're doing Tsunade", he grumbled, tucking his blankets tighter around his aging form.

Well, it had been fun while it lasted, watching, and of course, documenting his pupils' development in all walks of life of course, he thought with a lecherous grin, but all good things come to an end.

Then again, wasn't that Uchiha boy dating the pink haired medical nin Naruto had spent his early childhood pinning after?

Jiraiya chuckled deeply. Two young couples in the midst of a tangled web of affection, thrown together after a long separation… perhaps this would be fun after all.

"Hell, I might even get another book out of this… before the end of the world…"

* * *

---Author Notes---

Sorry to say this will only be a one per month update story, essay deadlines etc, but of course, there will be no continuation at all without reviews so…

Coming Next:

Chapter 1: Restlessly Yours; The Hokage wants to see Sasuke, but why, and what's in the letter she's given him?

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


	2. Chapter 1: Restlessly Yours

**A/N:** I apologise in advance for the delay, more about that in the footnotes, for now, enjoy:

Chapter One: Restlessly Yours

When Sakura awoke, Sasuke was gone. For those first few weeks after they had begun this arrangement, she might have panicked, but now she didn't. As much as it sometimes annoyed her, she knew Sasuke was uncomfortable with them waking up together and so usually made a point of vanishing at some point as soon as she started that long and groggy road to wakefulness.

It would have been nice to actually be able to lie there awake and alert for a change, snuggled warmly under the sheets with her usually stoic boyfriend if only for a few minutes.

Of course this habit _had_ saved them in the past as well. Such as the time her mother had come to visit her in her new apartment and nearly given her a heart attack letting herself in with a spare key.

Sakura didn't want to think what might have happened if Sasuke had still been there when the older woman had snuck into her room to surprise her 'lazy' daughter. As happy as she might be to know that her only offspring was dating and helping to reform the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan, Sakura doubted she would have seen anything harmless or noble in finding said young man in the same bed as her daughter.

The pink haired kunoichi ran her hand over the side of the bed the raven haired boy had come to occupy, a faint sensation of lingering warmth still there meaning he had waited as long as he dared before slipping out.

Her face lit up in a small smile at that thought as she rolled over and pulled the covers back over herself, edging backwards until she lay in the remnants of his presence.

"Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

Sasuke's face betrayed nothing of his thoughts as he walked the streets of Konoha on the cool autumn morning.

The wind picked up for a moment, tossing his shoulder length hair back and forth in the wind and trailing the lengths of his black scarf, the only item worn that seemed to really match the rapidly plummeting temperatures, like a pair of dark wings.

The scarf was a gift from Sakura, who had noted that his new taste in apparel, a single black vest and jeans covered with what at first glance appeared to be a chuunin jacket, was poor protection from the elements.

There had also been a coat offered that he had flat out refused. His training under Orochimaru had left him able to stand far more hellish conditions than those offered by a Fire Country autumn, but that was not the reason he had rejected it.

Emblazoned on the back of the garment had been the red and white fan that figured so prominently in many of his memories. The Clan symbol of the Uchiha.

He hadn't realised how long it had been since he'd last worn anything like it, having only worn the cream and black robes of the Sound for almost three long years, until he'd seen it… and the moment he had, he'd realised he couldn't yet bring himself to don it again just yet.

There was still something left to do, that was how he felt though he couldn't figure out what, but there was definitely some task left before he could truly say he had resolved the Clans problems and allowed himself to be the heir.

He tucked an errant lock of hair behind one ear as he passed a group of genin girls, not noticing the giggles and sighs his slightly troubled expression evoked in them as he thought back on that day.

Sakura had been upset when he'd rejected the coat with a curt thanks that was out of place with the action, though she'd somehow puzzled out what was bothering him and told him she'd keep it safe until he decided it was cold enough, gracefully skipping over issue at the same time as addressing it, and earning a much more heartfelt thanks that had left her breathless and blushing for some time until she moved onto the second gift, the scarf he now wore.

He'd eyed it uncertainly for a moment. On a purely practical level, such a garment had no use to a Shinobi as it would only serve as one more thing to be seen, and wasn't thick enough to cover his face. Worse still, in a fight it could easily be grabbed and if tied wrong, used to strangle him.

Sakura's expression, something between pouting and hopeful had locked his vocal cords long enough for him to swallow his objections and allow her wrap it around his neck while he affected a look of mock suffering that had caused her to hit him playfully.

When she was done, she'd stepped back to get a better view, noting that as a purely aesthetic item it looked surprisingly good added onto a distinctly summer ensemble, but he hadn't really been paying attention.

The scarf held something else which entranced him.

Taking a deep breath the raven haired boy could smell it, the scent coming from the woollen garment, the faint trace of cherry blossoms, Sakura's perfume and the deeper smell of her natural scent though the two weren't that different.

She hadn't needed to ask him if he liked it, his expression had probably give it away, though she had teased him mercilessly when he tried to feign indifference.

It was hard to deny a liking for something you wore almost every waking moment after all…

_Perhaps I'm getting sentimental_, he thought with a faint snort as he wound his way along the streets of Konoha and through the increasing pedestrian traffic, his feet tracing the path that had become all too familiar as of late toward his destination, mentally shutting out the unnecessary distractions.

Here yet another genin or young village girl sighing or talking excitedly with her friends as he passed without even acknowledging their existence, Sakura had once told him that his aloof attitude was actually his least attractive feature sometimes which was more or less its intent, so why it never worked he wasn't sure.

Off to his right a group of young men eyed him angrily, whether because of his past actions or current unsolicited female attention he didn't know, nor much care.

His relationship with Sakura was no secret, so why these fools acted like he was deliberately out to 'Steal our women!' he had no idea, but it was a view that wore thin when you had to deal with it face to face in the form of Kiba on a semi-regular basis, a young man very protective of his status, amongst the less experienced genin girls especially.

Had that been all Sasuke probably would have written him off and ignored him, but Kiba shared a few personality traits with a certain other person that allowed him to get under the dark haired boy's skin.

By the time he reached his destination he was scowling, but considering the place that wasn't unusual, so none of the other instructors stopped him or offered more than a greeting as he passed through the Academy's gates, hands thrust deep in his pockets.

It wasn't the usual reason that had him sending pupils, assistants and staff of lesser constitutions running as he stalked the halls toward his office he knew, nor was it really anything to do with _that_ person. No, this was all the fallout of his dreams, a kind of delayed emotional backwash that always seemed to hit him at some point in the following day.

Today was not going to be a fun time to be around Uchiha Sasuke, though few would say there ever was such a time.

By the time he reached his office, a small room most likely once a closet of some sort he had often thought, he was beginning to feel the first waves of lethargy, and wondered briefly if maybe he should have just stayed in bed that day, a thought quickly and ruthlessly squashed as his pride reared its metaphorical head angrily.

"No rest for the wicked", he murmured humourlessly as he slid the door closed behind him, half slitted eyes lighting upon an item sitting on his desk that had not been there the previous day.

Now, this should have been suspicious to anyone, let alone a ninja, but for two reasons. Firstly; a shiny red apple is rarely cause for alarm outside of groups with sever fruit based allergies, and secondly; he was well aware of how it had gotten there, and most likely who had placed it on his desk.

Mai claimed that sneaking into his unlocked and unguarded office and leaving a large red apple on his desk in plain site everyday was part of her personal training, but even the young Uchiha wasn't socially unaware enough to fail to guess her real motivation even if he saw no reason to bring it up.

He had barely had time to seat himself in a awkward semi slouch behind his desk, one elbow propped on the wooden seat's armrest to allow him to rest is chin on his palm and stare at the papers lining his desk like a brooding king on a makeshift throne as he scratched absently at the corner of one eye with a slender finger, before there came a knock at the door.

Sasuke briefly considered sitting up but dismissed the notion, grunting a half intelligible noise to communicate his permission for the person waiting outside to enter.

The door opened with barely a whisper, something that considering the increasingly rusted nature of its hinges, implied either a very timid, or very capable person was currently on the other side of the retreating barrier.

This assessment passed through his mind in a second, barely leaving any conscious ripples to note it had ever taken place, such is the mind of a former ninja of the Sound, where anything that occurs is catalogued for potential use and threat assessment.

The door swung shut again a moment later and his visit moved forward with silent footfalls that seemed impossible with the long flowing robes he wore, much like those of a samurai rather than a ninja.

Of course, many noble families affected such traditional garments and it was to the credit of the village's other resident genius that he was able to incorporate them with compromising his abilities.

The two warriors exchanged wordless nods as greeting, Neji's increasingly long hair obscuring half his face in the process, but as a wielder of the bloodlimit Byuukagan, the pale boy could have been blindfolded and still have been able to see the room better than anyone else.

"Uchiha-dono, Tsunade-sama requests your presence immediately", Neji spoke without preamble, neither of them was a man for the niceties of conversation.

Sasuke didn't respond for a moment, an odd sensation twisting his gut for the barest of instances, and not this time because of the use of the distant honorific, something he had a technical right to because of the relationship between the Hyuuga and Uchiha families, and he and Neji's respective places therein.

He had felt something for a second but couldn't identify its source, or even what the sensation had been.

"What does the old woman want?", he found himself asking, though normally he would have just gone without even thanking the messenger, no matter who they were.

"She did not say and I did not enquire", the other boy replied, inflectionless as always.

Sasuke massaged his eyes lightly with the balls of his fingertips behind closed lids as he went over a list of possibilities in his mind, failing to find anything significant enough to warrant pulling him away from his class.

The annoyance he felt knowing his teaching schedule would be disrupted surprised him, and an involuntary scowl broke out onto his face in rebellion against the idea as Neji waited patiently for the black clad boy to remember he was still waiting to confirm the message had been received.

Telling himself that it was because he disliked being at someone else's beck and call, not because he was being taken out of his students very much needed lessons, the raven haired youth stood, thanking the other boy briefly and slipping past him into the hall without waiting for him to leave so that he could lock up.

Only a fool would try to steal something from him, and besides, he would not be gone long enough for it to matter even if someone did broach the courage.

Had he know what awaited him, he might have sent Neji on his way and barricaded himself in… or at least given it serious thought.

* * *

Neji watched the former missing Nin's back retreat slowly up the corridor until he vanished around a corner.

"Neji!", he turned gracefully at the sound of his name, inclining his head as Tenten jogged in his direction, "You should have told me you were coming, I just got off work for the day… did you come to pick me up?".

Neji simply shrugged, smiling faintly as she mock pouted and stuck her nose up in the air. He was never quite sure what to make of his team-mate's behaviour, though he had more than an inkling even if he was unsure as to how to approach the situation.

He briefly recalled a conversation with Hinata shortly before she had left with Jiraiya and Naruto to assist them in tracking the remainder of the band of S-class criminals Akatsuki that Naruto's new wind element Rasengan had been such a foil to.

His diminutive cousin, though she was small no longer he was forced to concede, had urged him to look for his own personal happiness with his duties to her suspended and Hanabi under constant watch by her own protectors.

"Why are you here then?", Tenten enquired, glancing between him and the office he had just vacated, raising an eyebrow as she read the name newly embossed on the door, "Are you looking for Sasuke?".

"It's taken care of", he said, turning and walking after checking that she had fallen into step alongside him.

The chocolate eyed girl didn't ask anymore questions, a trait that was among the reasons he had chosen her for his training partner all those years ago.

"Ne, how about we go get something to eat, then go down to the practice fields for old times sake", a spark of mischieve entered her voice as she skipped a step or two ahead of him, "I think I might have found a way past your ultimate defence".

Neji's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but she laughed as if he'd gawped at the prospect.

"And what gives you that impression?", he asked, fighting his face to stillness as she giggled infectiously.

"S-e-c-r-e-t", she waved a finger under his nose and carried on ahead as they made their way out of the academies doors.

Had Neji noticed that he was watching the deliberately overemphasised sway of her hips, he would have had an insight into what her plan was, but one can only be a genius in so many areas.

He was not the only one to have received an encouraging talk from a certain blue haired girl.

* * *

Sasuke arrived at the foot of the towering Hokage monument, the impossibly high cliff from which four stone faces had been engraved, the former leaders of the hidden leave village.

His gaze passed briefly over the latest addition, the third Hokage, a man who had died fighting off Orochimaru the day the Sound had first attacked the village… the time during which he had first received the cursed seal of heaven and begun his path to treachery and revenge.

"_Tch_", Sasuke turned away from the impassive stone faces in a gesture that might have seemed disrespectful to any watching him, but it was simply the way he had come to deal with the urge to feel guilt over his past decisions when made to look upon the faces of those who had come before him.

No room for regrets, that was the only way to exist, he'd decided that a long time ago and that much remained as true now as ever.

Ahead of him the two guards nodded faintly in his direction as he passed between them, unable to resist tensing for a moment as if preparing to fight him off despite knowing he was here officially if not exactly welcome.

The dark haired boy smirked faintly in their direction before turning to stare directly at the spot his omnipresent ANBU escort was currently 'hiding' in. As usual they showed no discomfort at his ability to detect them nor paid any attention to the reactions of the guards when they traced his line of sight back to them, just continued their silent vigil behind cold clay masks.

Some of the Fire Nations most talented covert ninja, feared by all but the best S-rank criminals and he had a whole three man unit trailing him day or night, though he had shown no inclination to do anything but teach the class forced upon him and attempt to understand his relationship with a certain pink haired medical nin. He turned to them again but of course as soon as his attention had wondered they had vanished. He briefly considered tracking them again but decided the effort wasn't worth it, they had gotten the message by now, though he doubted for a second they would underestimate him, Itachi had been one of them for a time after all and his betrayal was a scar that ran deep amongst the older ANBU.

_Betrayal for our goals… it seems that at least is a trait we share nii-san_, he thought bitterly, though he still didn't truly comprehend why his brother had done what he had.

"This sentimental streak doesn't suit me", he mutter, glaring out over the village as he climbed the winding stone steps up the cliff face to the Hokage's office in a way that would have had people sounding the alarm.

The dreams always did this, got him thinking about the past, and whether he would ever really understand everything that had happened, or if there was another piece to the puzzle, waiting for him somewhere out there…

When he came back to himself he was standing outside Tsunade's door, his hand half lifted as if to knock.

Sasuke shook himself angrily. If sentimentality didn't suit him, daydreaming was out of the question. That was more something the likes of the Nara heir would be prone to.

He rapped thrice sharply, pushing the heavy oak doors aside when a dim voice told him to enter.

Tsunade was not immediately visible, but rather only by peering carefully through stacks of papers was he able to locate a flash of blond hair or the occasional hand movement accompanied by the dull thud of a seal stamp meeting parchment, that proved there was indeed a person somewhere within this paper construct.

"I'd ask you to take a seat but you're not going to", her voice filtered through distractedly.

Sasuke had stopped just in front of the chair in question, his arms folded, the twin tails of his scarf falling over his arms so he took a moment to flick them over his shoulders rather than reply to the familiar routine.

This was not a dominance game, the younger man knew he couldn't out will this deceptively young looking old woman even had he been foolish enough to try. No, he had simply spent too long confined in small dark places during his training under Orochimaru, and thus had developed a certain taste for the freedom of standing and moving on his own two feet whenever the mood struck him.

"The Hyuuga boy said you wanted to see me", he spoke when she returned to her papers, seemingly having forgotten him, trying to keep irritation out of his voice.

Strange that he had spent most of his life not caring for the attention of others, but when this person ignored him he felt slighted. Perhaps because she was Sakura's mentor, or Orochimaru's betrayed teammate, and a woman he had threatened to destroy not so long ago, as well as the leader of the nation he had betrayed, Sasuke felt that there should have been some justifiable response from her, but the older woman barely paid him any notice in their rare interactions since handing down his punishment.

"Neji"

"What?", he asked when she finally responded, shuffling a few of her papers aside to make a valley through which he could see her rest her chin on steepled fingers and peer at him with brown eyes too old for her chosen appearance.

"His name, the name of your classmate, is Neji… You don't have to pretend you have no link to them…", she sighed when he rolled his eyes and looked away.

_Honestly, what is my apprentice up to, I told the council she was rehabilitating this boy but from the looks of it she's been spending more time making calf-eyes at him_, Tsunade thought with a fond smile, recalling her attempts once make Dan understand the effect his oblivious nature to his talents had on others, though Dan had been too good natured to understand where as Sasuke just didn't care.

_I wonder if this is a good idea after all if he still hasn't changed…_ she thought fingering the letter concealed from view by one of the smaller stacks of papers_… though I doubt we have much choice in the matter_…

"There is a matter of which I would like to speak to you about", she said, her tone casual, waiting until his eyes returned to her before continuing, drawing out the pause until she saw his jaw clench.

"And that would be?", he asked, his voice sounding strained but still controlled. Sometimes she did miss the brat, none of the others were as easy to wind up, especially this one… hopefully that could be changed.

"There is here, a letter I have received requesting your presence. A letter from an old…friend", Sasuke didn't know what to make of the expression her face twisted into, half smile, half grimace.

"I suppose your friend doesn't know I can't leave the city walls without stirring up those stupid old fools", he said referring to the members of Konoha's Council of Elders.

Tsunade decided to let that slight go for now, there were times she agreed, but that was irrelevant, she needed to focus on the task at hand, a reprimand could come later.

"Oh he's aware… but what would you say if there are ways around such details?", had he been a dog his ears might have stood up at that last comment, as it was the raven haired youth was unable to suppress a look of surprise.

"You mean to let me out of the village?", he asked carefully, monitoring her expression for a trace of deceit. Orochimaru had offered the same thing in the past as a test of loyalty. Failure had not been an option back then…

"That all depends on you Sasuke… I need to know that you can be trusted…", she spoke guardedly, watching him from under lidded eyes.

"…And how would I prove such a thing?", he asked, intrigued by it all in spite of himself, by the prospect of freedom.

"That is indeed the question. We already know that loyalty means nothing to you", he didn't flinch, though his dark eyes flashed for a moment. Tsunade pressed on.

"However, through your past…actions, you have shown that once you set your mind to a task, to a cause, you will not deviate, no matter the obstacle and that may prove key here", her brow wrinkled for a moment, this was not something she entirely agreed on, but she had been given a script to stick too and she had no specific ideas counter to it anyway.

"Is there a point to all this?"

Tsunade spared him a chilling look and raised one finger, though he only shrugged by way of apology.

"What would you do if Sakura were threatened?", she asked, feeling a little guilty at taking this route, but some things had to be sure.

"All enemies will be destroyed", he said with such chilling assurance from such a young man that the older woman felt a pang of pity quickly stifled.

"Is that the answer of a person or a weapon Sasuke?", she asked though he didn't reply, just returned to studying her office.

"…I'm sending my apprentice with you, a medical specialist may be required… I'm asking if you can take responsibility for her life", she spoke sternly, turning him back to her through shear force of will.

"No, what you're asking is can you trust me"

"Can I?", she countered

"A weapon goes where it's pointed", he replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Tsunade blinked, clearing the blurry image lain atop his own for a second and forcing herself not to take a deep breath.

"But… it also protects… that is what I have learned…", he added slowly, as if unsure, his face, though cold, seeming a little more human, "Does that satisfy you?"

"For now, here" she handed him the letter she had received, waiting as he scanned the spider like hand scrawled on it, his hands tensing as he read as though he wanted to tear the document asunder but his face remained calm.

"…_Him_?", there was an expectant silence as he hissed that one word as if forgetting Tsunade was present.

"You are to go to the location stated one week from now, and meet the rest of your team for this mission. Aid them in any manner possible", her keen gaze seemed to be reading his very mind as she spoke, "You'll go with Sakura as medical support, and a team of ANBU will follow at all times to act as relays and backup".

"You mean to spy on me" he said, his voice hoarse as conflicting emotions chased themselves across his face.

Sasuke felt an itching sensation behind one eye, barely restraining the urge to rub at it.

"Will that be a problem?", Tsunade asked, her voice dripping the authority of her office.

Sasuke seemed to struggle a moment longer before eventually reaching some decision, a point of inner calm.

"No, nothing will present a problem", he spoke smoothly, turning his back to her and striding for the door.

"Sasuke", Tsunade's voice was soft spoken but it carried as if she had stood beside him, stopping him with his hand on the doorknob, "People shape the future, not weapons…remember that".

"_Tch_", and with that he was gone.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, sighing and swivelling it to face out over the view of the village, teeming with life and laughter below.

"I swear", she said, smiling sadly as the bright sun glinted of the glass, spreading a rainbow haze across her brow, "One day those kids will be the death of me… take care of yourselves ok…Naruto…".

* * *

The Three ANBU members watched from their secreted vantage point as their dark haired ward strode out of the gates, soon to be lost amongst the crowds of the village proper.

"So, that's that then", the tallest of them said, a man of indeterminate age, a crop of orange hair sticking out in all directions from his head like the mane of the lion his mask had been shaped after.

"Looks like it", his shorter companion agreed, his lithe frame looking frail along side the taller man's broad shoulders and biceps. The black eyes of his wolf mask turned to face the last of the trio with a swish of ragged lilac hair.

"How about you? What do you think?"

"Hmmm", the voice that echoed back from under the raccoon mask, black ringlets bouncing as their owner cocked her head to one side like a bird and peered into the distance, was high pitched and youthfully femmine, "I think he's much to pretty for a boy…yup".

"Eh-heh… that wasn't what I meant Chiho-sempai…", the lilac haired assassin sighed.

"But… I think it could be fun hehe. I hope we have lots of fun together, Sasuke Uchiha-kun".

With a hiss of displaced air they were gone, just a whisper remaining, quickly lost on the breeze.

"…Show me the Sharingan…"

* * *

--- Author Notes---

Yes I'm still alive, though barely, it's been tough recently… don't ask, but yay, chapter update at last, have fun folks and be sure to review ok?

Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell


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